Realising the urgent and unavoidable need of agriculture reforms in Pakistan, the government is all set to launch the Agriculture Emergency Programme (AEP) worth Rs 309 billion across the country. All procedural and codal formalities have been completed in this regard. As many as 16 projects in the agriculture sector would be launched under this programme to boost yields of major crops. The project also aims to revolutionise agriculture and livestock sectors by conserving water and soil; tapping the potential of aquaculture and shrimp farming and establishing new markets to protect farmers from exploitation of middlemen.
While government’s initiative deserves to be applauded, and there is no denying the fact that the ailing agriculture sector of the country was gasping for such intensive-care treatment, we must also acknowledge the contribution of some torch-bearers who kindled the light of hope in the testing times. While provincial agricultural departments over Pakistan have been doing a spectacular job in bringing about change to improve this sector, a few marathon runners in the national pavilion deserve a standing ovation for strengthening their hands in this herculean task.
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is one such contributor. PAEC has taken the lead in utilising nuclear technology to improve the productivity of the agricultural sector through the introduction of new crop varieties, pest control technologies, plant nutrition, water management, animal health and productivity as well as food decontamination and preservation. Four PAEC agricultural research centres have been established in three provinces of Pakistan, with a major share of the cultivatable land in the country. Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA) in Tando Jam, Sindh, (1962) was the first such institutes. Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad, Punjab (1972), Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Peshawar, KPK (1982) and National Institute for Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Punjab (1994) were established in a span of about 32 years and have contributed more than Rs 1200 billion in the economy of Pakistan through the development of new crop varieties.
As our exports are mainly (70 per cent) based on agriculture, all efforts in this sector contribute directly towards the development of Pakistan
So far, these centres have developed and evolved a total of 112 varieties of different crops. In the area of utilisation of marginal lands, technology is developed for the utilisation of salt-affected lands as well as its and plant material provision, not only to the local farmers but also at an international level. The goat rearing on biomass produced on these marginal lands is also contributing in the socio-economic uplift of smallholder farmers.
Scarcity of water is a major threat to productivity and food security of the country. Technologies have been developed at these centres to improve irrigation techniques that reduce water losses. Crop varieties have been developed that require less water and produce higher yields in barani (rain-fed) areas. Excessive use of fertilisers is another factor affecting soil fertility and health besides increasing environmental hazards. To address this issue, alternate cheap sources of nutrients have also been identified to efficiently manage plant nutrition and reduce the application of chemical fertilisers. It is pertinent to mention here that bio-fertilizers, developed by PAEC Biotechnology Institute (NIBGE), reduce the requirement of chemical fertilisers by 20 per cent, without affecting the yield of crops. To ensure the reduction of losses to pests and pathogens at the field and post-harvest level, PAEC’s agricultural institutes have introduced mass rearing of beneficial predatory insects to control pests of various crops. Application of biocontrol technology on sugarcane crop in Sindh reduces the cost of insect control to one-third as compared to pesticide application; also providing health and environmental benefits.
Exports play a vital role in the economy of a country and as our exports are mainly (70 per cent) based on agriculture, therefore, all efforts in this sector contribute directly towards the development of Pakistan. Services are being provided for the removal of contaminants from export commodities through irradiation, identification of aflatoxins and drug residues in food and dairy products and DNA-based testing of basmati rice and genetically modified organisms.
These centres also have a fair share in human resource development through training courses, workshops and internships. On average, 40 different courses are arranged every year for hands-on-training of latest techniques and technologies in various fields of agriculture research. These courses equally benefit researchers, students and academia from various research organisations and universities. NIAB and NIBGE in Faisalabad are also affiliated with Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS)–the top ranking university of the country–for the award of MPhil and PhD degrees in Biology and Biotechnology.
According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2018-2019, the agriculture sector growth is estimated at 0.85 per cent. The sector has witnessed a negative growth of 4.4 per cent during FY-2019 mainly due to negative growth (-6.6 per cent) of important crops. Production of cotton, rice and sugarcane has declined by 17.5, 3.3 and 19.4 per cent respectively, while the wheat output posted a marginal growth of 0.5 per cent and the production of maize grew by 6.9 per cent. Similarly, other crops have shown growth of 1.95 per cent; mainly because of an increase in production of pulses and oilseeds. A decrease in the production of the cotton crop also caused a decline in cotton ginning by 12.7 per cent. The livestock sector has shown a growth of 4.0 per cent while the growth of forestry remained 6.47 per cent due to an increase in the production of timber in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the range of 26.7 to 36.1 thousand cubic meters.
Pakistan’s agricultural sector plays a central role in the well-being of its economy as it contributes 18.9 per cent to the GDP and absorbs 42.3 per cent of the labour force. It is also an important source of foreign exchange earnings and stimulates growth in other sectors. Foregoing in view, agricultural sector reforms in Pakistan and initiatives like the one being introduced lately i.e. Agriculture Emergency Programme (AEP) are the need of the hour. More important is the need for synchronisation of efforts among all national research centres working for progress and development of agriculture in the country.
The writer is a former sub-editor of daily Dawn Islamabad and a PR practitioner